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Wigan Warriors will launch their defence of the Betfred Super League title at the home of their fierce rivals St Helens in a Thursday night blockbuster opening to the 2019 season.

Wigan Warriors will launch their defence of the Betfred Super League title at the home of their fierce rivals St Helens in a Thursday night blockbuster opening to the 2019 season.

The clash between the 2018 Grand Final winners and a Saints team who earned the League Leaders’ Shield will be the first live match on Sky Sports in 2019 – and it will be followed on Friday night by another of the game’s classic derbies, between Hull KR and Hull FC at KCOM Craven Park.

That will be one of three Friday night fixtures, and the bumper opening weekend continues with the meeting of last season’s beaten Grand Finalists, Warrington Wolves, and the Leeds Rhinos at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday February 2 – a third live televised match of the weekend, a pattern which continues well into March.

That leaves the stage clear on Sunday afternoon for the Super League’s return to London, as the Broncos face Chris Chester’s Wakefield Trinity at their Ealing Trailfinders base.

In Round Two, Sky will screen Hull FC-Castleford Tigers on Thursday night, Wigan’s first home game against Leeds on Friday, and the Catalans-Huddersfield clash from Perpignan on Saturday.

Then, after Wigan face Sydney Roosters in the World Club Challenge on February 17, the third full round of Betfred Super League fixtures sees another triple-header on Sky Sports – Wakefield hosting Catalans on Thursday 21, the first St Helens versus Leeds fixture of the season on Friday 22, and a first televised match of the season for the Broncos at home to Castleford on Saturday 23.

Wigan face Saints again, this time on home territory at the DW Stadium, on their traditional Good Friday date, which this year falls on April 19 – when other televised derby fixtures, between Hull FC and Hull KR at the KCOM Stadium, and Wakefield’s short trip to Castleford, set up the possibility of a challenge to Super League’s record aggregate attendance for a round of six matches.

The Dacia Magic Weekend will be played on the second Bank Holiday weekend in May (Round 16) with fixtures and the venue for the 2019 festival to be confirmed next week.

Each team will play 29 fixtures – 14 at home and 14 away, plus the Magic round – meaning they play seven of the other 11 teams three times, and the other four twice. That fixture pattern has been determined by the teams’ finishing positions in 2018.

Old Trafford will stage the 22nd Grand Final on Saturday October 12, the culmination of a return to the Top Five Play-Offs which produced the original Grand Final in 1998 – when Jason Robinson’s famous try set up Wigan’s 10-4 win against Leeds.

That means the winners of the League Leaders’ Shield could take a direct passage to Old Trafford with victory in a single home match in the second round of the Play-Offs – whereas the team finishing fifth would have to win three away matches to make the Grand Final.

Robert Elstone, the chief executive of Super League Europe, said: “The 2019 season will mark a change of direction for the Super League, and the start of exciting new beginnings.

“We want our fans to be really excited about that first weekend, and how better to do that than with a Saints-Wigan derby, pitting the champions against their local rivals who were also last year’s League Leaders? And then to follow it up with a Hull derby?

“We’re equally excited about the extra Saturday games which our broadcast partners at Sky Sports are showing in the early stages of the season, allowing the drama of the opening round of matches to unfold throughout the weekend.

“Throw in the World Club Challenge between Wigan Warriors and the Sydney Roosters, the unique appeal and challenge of Super League’s Easter weekend – and of course the season builds to a real climax with the battle for places in the Top Five Play-Offs, building to the Betfred Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.”

Round

Date

Home

Away

KO Time (Local)

1

Thursday, January 31

St Helens

Wigan Warriors

7.45pm

Sky Sports

1

Friday, February 1

Castleford Tigers

Catalans Dragons

7.45pm

1

Friday, February 1

Huddersfield Giants

Salford Red Devils

7.45pm

1

Friday, February 1

Hull Kingston Rovers

Hull FC

7.45pm

Sky Sports

1

Saturday, February 2

Warrington Wolves

Leeds Rhinos

5.00pm

Sky Sports

1

Sunday, February 3

London Broncos

Wakefield Trinity

3.00pm

2

Thursday, February 7

Hull FC

Castleford Tigers

7.45pm

Sky Sports

2

Friday, February 8

Wigan Warriors

Leeds Rhinos

7.45pm

Sky Sports

2

Saturday, February 9

Warrington Wolves

Hull Kingston Rovers

3.00pm

2

Saturday, February 9

Catalans Dragons

Huddersfield Giants

6.00pm

Sky Sports

2

Sunday, February 10

Salford Red Devils

London Broncos

3.00pm

2

Sunday, February 10

Wakefield Trinity

St Helens

3.00pm

10

Sunday, February 17

Hull Kingston Rovers

London Broncos

3.00pm

10

Sunday, February 17

Salford Red Devils

Leeds Rhinos

3.00pm

3

Thursday, February 21

Wakefield Trinity

Catalans Dragons

7.45pm

Sky Sports

3

Friday, February 22

Huddersfield Giants

Warrington Wolves

7.45pm

3

Friday, February 22

St Helens

Leeds Rhinos

7.45pm

Sky Sports

3

Saturday, February 23

Hull Kingston Rovers

Salford Red Devils

3.00pm

3

Saturday, February 23

London Broncos

Castleford Tigers

5.00pm

Sky Sports

3

Sunday, February 24

Wigan Warriors

Hull FC

3.00pm

4

Thursday, February 28

Salford Red Devils

St Helens

7.45pm

Sky Sports

4

Friday, March 1

Castleford Tigers

Hull Kingston Rovers

7.45pm

4

Friday, March 1

Leeds Rhinos

Wakefield Trinity

7.45pm

Sky Sports

4

Saturday, March 2

Catalans Dragons

Warrington Wolves

6.00pm

Sky Sports

4

Sunday, March 3

Huddersfield Giants

Hull FC

3.00pm

4

Sunday, March 3

London Broncos

Wigan Warriors

3.00pm

5

Thursday, March 7

Warrington Wolves

Castleford Tigers

7.45pm

Sky Sports

5

Friday, March 8

Hull FC

Leeds Rhinos

7.45pm

5

Friday, March 8

St Helens

London Broncos

7.45pm

5

Friday, March 8

Wigan Warriors

Huddersfield Giants

7.45pm

Sky Sports

5

Saturday, March 9

Catalans Dragons

Salford Red Devils

6.00pm

Sky Sports

5

Sunday, March 10

Wakefield Trinity

Hull Kingston Rovers

3.00pm

6

Thursday, March 14

Huddersfield Giants

St Helens

7.45pm

Sky Sports

6

Friday, March 15

Hull FC

Wakefield Trinity

7.45pm

6

Friday, March 15

Leeds Rhinos

London Broncos

7.45pm

6

Friday, March 15

Warrington Wolves

Wigan Warriors

7.45pm

Sky Sports

6

Sunday, March 17

Hull Kingston Rovers

Catalans Dragons

3.00pm

6

Sunday, March 17

Castleford Tigers

Salford Red Devils

3.30pm

7

Thursday, March 21

Wakefield Trinity

Warrington Wolves

7.45pm

Sky Sports

7

Friday, March 22

Castleford Tigers

St Helens

7.45pm

Sky Sports

7

Friday, March 22

Huddersfield Giants

Hull Kingston Rovers

7.45pm

7

Saturday, March 23

Catalans Dragons

Leeds Rhinos

6.00pm

Sky Sports

7

Sunday, March 24

London Broncos

Hull FC

3.00pm

7

Sunday, March 24

Salford Red Devils

Wigan Warriors

3.00pm

8

Thursday, March 28

Leeds Rhinos

Castleford Tigers

7.45pm

Sky Sports

8

Friday, March 29

Hull FC

Warrington Wolves

7.45pm

Sky Sports

8

Friday, March 29

St Helens

Hull Kingston Rovers

7.45pm

8

Sunday, March 31

London Broncos

Huddersfield Giants

3.00pm

8

Sunday, March 31

Wakefield Trinity

Salford Red Devils

3.00pm

8

Sunday, March 31

Wigan Warriors

Catalans Dragons

3.00pm

9

Thursday, April 4

Hull Kingston Rovers

Leeds Rhinos

7.45pm

Sky Sports

9

Friday, April 5

Castleford Tigers

Wigan Warriors

7.45pm

Sky Sports

9

Friday, April 5

Wakefield Trinity

Huddersfield Giants

7.45pm

9

Friday, April 5

Warrington Wolves

London Broncos

7.45pm

9

Saturday, April 6

Catalans Dragons

St Helens

6.00pm

Sky Sports

9

Sunday, April 7

Salford Red Devils

Hull FC

3.00pm

10

Thursday, April 11

Huddersfield Giants

Castleford Tigers

7.45pm

Sky Sports

10

Friday, April 12

St Helens

Warrington Wolves

7.45pm

Sky Sports

10

Friday, April 12

Wakefield Trinity

Wigan Warriors

7.45pm

10

Saturday, April 13

Catalans Dragons

Hull FC

6.00pm

Sky Sports

11

Thursday, April 18

Castleford Tigers

Wakefield Trinity

7.45pm

Sky Sports

11

Thursday, April 18

London Broncos

Catalans Dragons

7.45pm

11

Friday, April 19

Hull FC

Hull Kingston Rovers

TBC

Sky Sports

11

Friday, April 19

Leeds Rhinos

Huddersfield Giants

3.00pm

11

Friday, April 19

Warrington Wolves

Salford Red Devils

3.00pm

11

Friday, April 19

Wigan Warriors

St Helens

TBC

Sky Sports

12

Monday, April 22

Catalans Dragons

Castleford Tigers

TBC

Sky Sports

12

Monday, April 22

Huddersfield Giants

London Broncos

3.00pm

12

Monday, April 22

Hull Kingston Rovers

Warrington Wolves

3.00pm

12

Monday, April 22

Salford Red Devils

Wigan Warriors

3.00pm

12

Monday, April 22

St Helens

Hull FC

3.00pm

12

Monday, April 22

Wakefield Trinity

Leeds Rhinos

3.00pm

13

Saturday, April 27

London Broncos

Salford Red Devils

3.00pm

13

Saturday, April 27

Wigan Warriors

Castleford Tigers

5.00pm

Sky Sports

13

Sunday, April 28

Hull FC

Wakefield Trinity

3.00pm

13

Sunday, April 28

Leeds Rhinos

Hull Kingston Rovers

3.00pm

13

Sunday, April 28

St Helens

Catalans Dragons

3.00pm

13

Sunday, April 28

Warrington Wolves

Huddersfield Giants

3.00pm

14

Thursday, May 2

Wigan Warriors

London Broncos

7.45pm

Sky Sports

14

Friday, May 3

Castleford Tigers

Warrington Wolves

7.45pm

14

Friday, May 3

Salford Red Devils

Leeds Rhinos

7.45pm

14

Saturday, May 4

Hull FC

Catalans Dragons

3.00pm

14

Sunday, May 5

Huddersfield Giants

Wakefield Trinity

3.00pm

14

Sunday, May 5

Hull Kingston Rovers

St Helens

3.00pm

15

Thursday, May 16

Leeds Rhinos

Castleford Tigers

7.45pm

Sky Sports

15

Friday, May 17

St Helens

Salford Red Devils

7.45pm

15

Friday, May 17

Huddersfield Giants

Hull Kingston Rovers

7.45pm

15

Saturday, May 18

Catalans Dragons

Wigan Warriors

TBC

Sky Sports

15

Saturday, May 18

London Broncos

Wakefield Trinity

3.00pm

15

Saturday, May 18

Warrington Wolves

Hull FC

3.00pm

Round 16 - Dacia Magic Weekend to be played on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26